Chapter 1413: Chapter 1413

"Are you sure these bombs were decommissioned from the army, not salvaged from a shipwreck?"

Jenkins brushed aside the seaweed on top of the crate and casually pulled out a metal canister from the waterlogged wooden box. He shook it carelessly in his hand, completely unconcerned that it might explode.

"Even the latest models of steam bombs probably wouldn't work after being this soaked, let alone..."

He glanced at the production date and serial number engraved on the wooden handle:

"Let alone something from thirty years ago. You know how primitive the technology was back then..."

"Say no more. My shipment was swapped."

She ground out the words through gritted teeth, her heavy breathing making Jenkins worry she might suddenly faint. But Magic Miss had been preparing for this day for six months, since last autumn, and her plan would absolutely not be stopped by such a minor setback.

"Do you have any connections who can get their hands on steam bombs right now?"

she suddenly pressed Jenkins.

Jenkins tucked the bomb into his belt, planning to keep it as a souvenir. It was an antique that belonged in a museum. Though it was useless as a weapon, it might appeal to a collector with particular tastes at Pops Antique Shop. In effect, Magic Miss had bought a batch of antiques for the price of munitions—she'd actually come out ahead.

"You must have a way, right?"

she asked insistently, giving him no chance to refuse:

"After today, whether I get the Heart of the Ocean or not, I can give you a lead on a Bestowal. A shipment of contraband was smuggled in from overseas late last summer, and it actually contained a Bestowal. But it got mixed in with other antiques after an accidental fire, and no one knows where it was sold. I have a lead—and I'm the only one who does."

She stared into Jenkins's eyes, the determination and fire in her gaze making even him a little afraid.

"I do have a way, but I can't get my hands on a large quantity."

"That's fine. I'll take whatever you can get. I'll buy them at double the black market price."

"No need. Just give me that lead after this is all over."

Jenkins had met Dolores's subordinates in Nolan before; they had been a great help to him during the Skull Sword incident. The sheer firepower they had unleashed while holding off Duke Antak had left a deep impression on him, so Jenkins knew he could get enough bombs from them.

First, he returned to Ruen, where he found Dolores in her study talking with the Deputy Minister of Finance, Earl Dirac. After explaining the situation, he once again obtained the sapphire ring that signified her authority. Upon returning to Nolan, he rushed straight to the small building of the Schuper Freight Company and showed the ring to the familiar middle-aged receptionist.

"What do you need? Who are we killing this time?"

After confirming the ring's authenticity and hearing Jenkins mention the brawl at the clock tower, he immediately showed great enthusiasm.

"I'm not here to kill anyone. I just need a batch of high-yield steam bombs. Right now. It's urgent."

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"Enough to cause a major disturbance, but not enough to cause any real destruction."

Jenkins knew he had given a very difficult request, but to his surprise, the man simply nodded in understanding and began relaying the information with practiced ease.

About ten minutes later, the shipment was ready. The man acting as the freight company's receptionist then asked Jenkins where they should be delivered.

"Is the dock area possible? It's under lockdown today. If that's too difficult, I can figure something out myself."

His plan was to use a unicorn for an airdrop, but that would be extremely dangerous.

"Can you give me the specific address? Whether we can deliver depends on the location... Oh, right, I know that place. We can get it there. That's an excellent spot—it happens to be the weakest point in the patrol perimeter for the festival, and the distance is just right. We actually wanted to rent a warehouse nearby, but someone beat us to it. So it was you."

the man said admiringly.

"It wasn't me, it was a friend... Wait a minute, you wanted to rent it too?"

The implication of that statement dawned on Jenkins, and he looked at the man suspiciously:

"If you don't mind my asking, could you tell me what you were planning to do?"

"Since you hold this ring, you are naturally entitled to know everything."

At this, the receptionist leaned in conspiratorially and whispered in Jenkins's ear:

"The truth is, we're not the only ones who want to stir things up at the festival welcoming the navy home. We don't intend to ruin Nolan's event; we just heard that the first returning fleet is carrying some of our captured spies. We're trying to see if we can rescue them."

"That's a plausible reason. So, you're saying other factions have their own agendas as well?"

"Yes. In fact, if it weren't necessary, I'd advise you to stay far away from the festival. No one knows what might happen this time. There are simply too many people involved, so it's hard to say if there will be any unexpected complications."

The steam bombs were quickly delivered to the warehouse Magic Miss had rented. She was once again in the same state of manic excitement as when he'd seen her that morning, praising him repeatedly for his speed.

Jenkins also asked her if she knew who else planned to get involved in the festival. Magic Miss told him she didn't care. According to the information she'd gotten from Miss Windsor, so many people were involved that it was pointless to worry about who was who.

"We just need to focus on our own part. Besides, we won't be going deep into the festival grounds—we'll mostly be operating on the periphery."

Even if Femishue was a madman most of the time, he wasn't a reckless brute; otherwise, he wouldn't have evaded capture for so many years. He would be present for the entire pirate operation, but he wouldn't directly enter the festival area to make his move. The moment his men began their activities was the exact time Magic Miss had chosen to strike.

To get a good vantage point, Jenkins and Magic Miss climbed to the top of the tower bridge, which was currently under repair, just as the crowds began to flood the docks around eight o'clock. The view from up there was incredibly expansive, offering an unobstructed look not only at the festival preparations on the docks but also over most of the city and the wide-open sea.